Cleveland Cavaliers beat Pistons 121-115

The Cleveland Cavaliers left Detroit with a 3-2 series lead after beating the Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. James Harden scored 30 points, Donovan Mitchell added 21, and Cleveland erased a nine-point deficit in the final minutes of regulation, according to NBA.com. (nba.com) Cade Cunningham scored 39 points with nine assists for Detroit, which had led by 15 in the first half and 103-94 with a little more than two minutes left in the fourth quarter. The result put Cleveland one win from the Eastern Conference finals after the road team won for the first time in the series. Regulation ended tied at 103-103 after Evan Mobley made free throws with 45.2 seconds left, and the Cavaliers then held the Pistons scoreless for a five-minute stretch spanning late regulation and overtime. ### How did Cleveland flip a game it was close to losing? Detroit led 103-94 with just over two minutes remaining in regulation before Cleveland closed the fourth quarter on a 9-0 push. (nba.com) Evan Mobley tied the game at 103-103 from the line with 45.2 seconds left, and the Cavaliers carried that surge into overtime with a 13-0 run that stretched across the two periods. Kenny Atkinson said the comeback reflected Cleveland’s growth under pressure. “That stretch right there says a lot about our progress - mental performance progress and mental toughness progress,” the Cavaliers coach said, according to the Associated Press recap carried on NBA.com. (nba.com) ### Which players decided the overtime? James Harden delivered Cleveland’s biggest possessions in overtime. NBA.com credited Harden with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and he added late free throws plus an offensive rebound after a missed foul shot that helped preserve the Cavaliers’ lead. (nba.com) Donovan Mitchell gave Cleveland breathing room with a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to seven with 2:39 left in overtime. Max Strus also scored 20 points off the bench, according to the series page on NBA.com. (nba.com) ### What did Detroit get from Cade Cunningham? Cade Cunningham kept Detroit in control for most of the night. Sporting News reported Cunningham finished with 39 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, while NBA.com listed nine assists in its game recap and highlighted his scoring line in postgame coverage. (nba.com) The Pistons led for roughly 69% of the game, according to Sporting News team statistics, and they did not surrender the final lead until the closing stages. (nba.com) Detroit also built a 15-point advantage, the game’s largest margin. ### Why was the ending disputed? A loose-ball sequence just before the end of regulation drew an immediate complaint from Detroit. NBA.com’s AP recap said Jarrett Allen and Ausar Thompson got tangled up near the buzzer with no foul called. (sportingnews.com) J.B. Bickerstaff said Allen fouled Thompson on the play. “He fouled Ausar - clearly,” the Pistons coach said, according to the AP recap. “He tripped him when he was going for a loose ball.” ### What does Game 6 look like now? (sportingnews.com) Friday, May 15, is the next date in the series, with Game 6 scheduled for 7 p.m. ET in Cleveland. NBA.com’s series page lists a Game 7, if necessary, for Sunday, May 17, back in Detroit. The bracket on NBA.com says Cleveland would advance to face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals with one more win. (nba.com) Detroit needs a road win in Game 6 to extend the series.